This invention relates generally to an apparatus for providing an adjustable aperture, and more specifically to a device for the simulation of artificial intraocular lens insertion utilizing such an adjustable aperture.
The concept of using intraocular lenses for the correction of aphakia has a long history. Much of the pioneering work was performed by Harold Ridley in London and by Cornelius Binkhorst in the Netherlands. A comprehensive history of the development and results of the intraocular implant lens is presented in a thesis by Marcel Eugene Nordlohne, reproduced in Documenta Ophthalmologica, Volume 38, Issue 1, 16 December 1974. Additionally useful is A Lens For All Seasons by Dr. Jerald L. Tennant published in August of 1976.
Depsite improvements in intraocular lens technology, problems have continued to plague the development of implant practice. The size of the dilated pupil, and the delicacy of the iris combine to make the implantation of an artificial intraocular lens extremely difficult. In particular, the ability to implant such a lens in the eye can only be learned through repeated practice upon actual human eyes, a risky training procedure. In addition, it is frequently desirable to demonstrate to medical students and others the insertion of an intraocular lens. Such demonstrations are difficult to conduct on actual human patients. Accordingly, objects of the present invention are;
To provide an appartus for simulation of artificial intraocular lens insertion; PA1 To provide such an apparatus with an adjustable iris mechanism so that the insertion of such lenses may be simulated on apertures of various diameters in order to correspond to the dilation of the human pupil to various diameters; and PA1 To provide such an apparatus in a form which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.